Night of Day 18, candled, lotsa questions!

Ok, I guess I candled wrong when I didn't see any air sacs.... now all the eggs have them. I removed 4 more bad eggs. I tried to take pics but they didnt turn out. Here are my questions:

1) In alot, about half, of my eggs, I can clearly see a large chick.......that is not moving! Now, I only held most of the eggs to the light for ten seconds or so, and my light doesn't show me as much as I would like. I can clearly see the air sac and chick, but on the eggs I do see movement on, the movement is always right near to the air sac (and therefore the light). Maybe they're moving and I can't see them?? Or, maybe they just didnt want to move at that time. Or are they dead?

2) I still have 2 weird eggs... little bitty chicks, midgets? lol. Those two are certainly moving.

3) How high is too high of humidity for the hatch?? I just went back out and it was 83!! So I covered 1/4 of the area with foil. I dont know what it will level out at, but what's the highest it can safely be??

4) Now this is neat.... I saw something amazing, and as best I can figure it, it means a chick is about to pip. In the clearness of the air sac, I could see a chick pushing into the air sac!!! You could actually see the membrane being pushed into the air sac space. That IS what the would mean, isn't it??

So good to hear. I was worried. Sometimes when they are big it takes aa while to see them move. Dont give up hope. Cant wait to see pics in a few days!! I had my humidity at around 65 70. Do you have the plugs out or in? If you take one out it will lower the humidity. Covering it w foil was the right thing to do.

I had some silkies come out of really big eggs. I thought it was a buff orpington egg. Totally. What kind have you got? I just had polish silkies , sizzles , buff orps, ole english orpington, red dominiques, and a furry legged old english. I love my designer chicks. They were hatched on Mother's day and the next day.

I wonder if thoe weird eggs were too far awy from the heat source for too long. There's no way they are a few days younger? If they are moving,I wouldn't worry about them. Just be patient and give them time to hatch. Your humidity should go down. You can raise up a corner of the bater for a few minutes,but I wouldn't bother them much. It's real esy to mess up yout temp and humidity balance. Good luck and I bet I know where you are getting those marans eggs from

I know at least one of those weird eggs was in the outside row of the turner, not sure about the other one. It's just weird because on day 18 they're smaller than the rest were on day 10!!

Don't know how they could be younger? They all went in on the same day at the same time... and if the others had been set on before I got them I don't imagine so many would of made that transition, especially after they sat on my table for a day before I put them in the bator.

The air cell is there for the chick to pip into and take its first breath of life.
The egg loses moisture during the time in the incubator and as this occurs the air cell grows to compensate. It is critical to control that moisture loss through humidity adjustments.

Lose too much moisture (dry conditions) and the chick will not have enough room to develop.
Lose too little moisture (wet conditions) and the chick will have no air, and may even drown in the air cell.

This is why it is important to maintain the right humidity through the life of the incubation period. Monitoring the air cell growth and, vis a vis, the humidity conditions in the chamber is the one compelling reason to candle. Just "looking" isn't reason enough. Hands OFF, I say!

The recommended Rh increase during the hatch (which actually begins as early as day 15) is to help soften the membranes of the egg and allow for a smoother hatch out. I have found that an Rh of 50% or better is adequate during the incubation cycle.

The rise to 83% you are seeing in the final stages is likely the result of the actual hatch beginning. Humidity spikes at this time. By then, there is little you are going to do to affect the outcome. Crack the bator lid if you like, to allow some of the water vapor to escape.